


The Strangers We've Become

by PeachyFoxStar



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Experiment, M/M, Mentioned Wanna One Ensemble, Post-Break Up, Romance, Wanna One Ensemble - Freeform, life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 08:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachyFoxStar/pseuds/PeachyFoxStar
Summary: Seongwoo rediscovers the pain of loving someone that doesn’t belong to him anymore.





	1. Letter 1

# 1

His thought process should have gone like this.

Sungwoon’s ideas are great but they’re disastrous, therefore, he shouldn’t have participated.

That's how Seongwoo should have pictured the future when Sungwoon asked for his _great presence_ in the experiment. Unfortunately, his ego had been fed too well to decline the offer. It’s not everyday he gets to see a pleading Sungwoon, but the prize was too small for the storm of feelings he’s greeted the moment he arrived at the studio.

Seongwoo is not psychic. As far as he’s aware, nobody in his family could predict the future but for some unknown reason, he’s blessed with the ability to foretell how certain events will occur. When Seongwoo starts to feel nervous for no apparent reason, then something’s bound to happen. His friends call his intuition a blessing. What it is to him? A nuisance.

“You’re pretty early” A sudden voice greets him by the entrance, sending his heart to rapidly beat in his chest. Seongwoo’s not too big on surprises. He appreciates them, but the idea of keeping a secret makes him uncomfortable. He’s probably an odd person for saying that when everybody loves surprises. “Why are you frowning at me like that?”

“Because you’re supposed to know that I hate surprises” He huffs out, crossing his arms in a childish manner.

Sungwoon rolls his eyes before throwing a towel towards him “It wasn’t even a surprise. I was calling you but you were spacing out. Dry yourself, I don’t want to take care of you over the weekend”

Seongwoo takes the towel from the older with a pout. It doesn’t work on Sungwoon, by this time, he’s already immune to the childish tactics. It should’ve been scorching outside according to the weather forecast, but on his way to the studio, dark clouds gathered resulting to a downpour. He had to run all the way from the waiting shed with just his hoodie because Seongwoo is not a boy scout.

“What's wrong with taking care of me during weekends?” He counters as they walk past the reception area where Woojin, Sungwoon’s apprentice, is busy fiddling with some paperwork (that Sungwoon doesn’t probably want to do). “Hey Woojin”

The said boy, gives a disgruntled response “Hey hyung”

“Why is Woojin frowning and why is he handling your paperwork?” He’s done this for Sungwoon, years ago when they’re still working together to make their dream come true. Now, Sungwoon’s managed to make a name for his studio, while Seongwoo became a renowned photographer in his field (with much difficulty if he could add).

He doesn’t hate handling the paperwork, it’s not much. Most of them are contracts piled up in his desk, too busy to be handled. Others are just ‘trash’ according to his older friend, when in fact, they’re doodles and little drawings that developed into a habit.

“First, you’re a clingy sick person and two, I had some piled up papers on my desk and Woojin took the liberty of arranging them for me” Sungwoon looked smug when he said that, a little too proud that he can make someone else do the work for him. Seongwoo willed himself not to roll his eyes, of course Sungwoon would say that.

“...Or you purposely left your desk in a mess so Woojin could fix it for you” The older rolls his eyes, making Seongwoo smile in triumphed. It’s a tactic he’s seen a lot of times. Whenever Sungwoon’s too lazy to fix his things, he lets them pile up in a corner of the room until someone does it for him. Seongwoo’s normal habits did not include cleaning after someone’s trash but _he_ insisted to instill that in Seongwoo.

 _“I don’t get why this doesn’t make you feel frustrated”_ A voice echoes in his head, one that he’s learned to keep in the dark and ignore. Shaking his head, Seongwoo turns to look at Woojin, who’s nowhere near half of the papers.

“Good luck with that Woojin” He half yells, earning a low grunt from the younger.

Seongwoo turns back to Sungwoon, dodging a few opened boxes along the narrow hallway. The studio looks the same. It still has picture frames decorating the wall, photos of smiling couples and families greeting him. The leather couch by the reception area also hasn't changed, bringing back a few memories when the studio opened.

As he stopped behind Sungwoon who’s opening the door, he noticed an open box with a familiar photo of himself. By nature, he's always been a curious person, and according to his friends, it's one of the reasons why he gets in trouble.

Seongwoo should have listened to his mind when it told him not to open the box, but his hands are too stubborn, regret immediately following. A photo from his past greets him, throat suddenly feeling parched. There’s an urge to take it out but Sungwoon turned around before he can even touch it.

“We can start before Jisung hyung arrives, the studio’s all set...” The older stops short when he sees the open box, a grim expression quickly replacing his smile. There’s a sudden discomfort in the air as he closed the box, moving it away before Seongwoo can even process what’s happening “Go wait inside. Woojin and I still haven’t managed to segregate everything so it’s a little messy”

//

The mono block is uncomfortable, the harsh studio lights are also beating down on him but his focus is on something else. On the table, where he sat, there’s a bunch of letters placed in a small container, different colors and sizes. _They’re letters from strangers_ He recalls Sungwoon telling him. They’re letters written by heartbroken people who only wanted to move on from their past relationship.

If Seongwoo’s going to be honest, he’s not even sure why he’s here. He had a lot of relationships in the past, but only one remains as his great love. It’s been 3 years since they last saw each other but not once have they seek each other’s presence. He’s not supposed to be in this position, unfortunately, he’s too willing when it comes to his older friend.

Perhaps, this would be a good move for him as well. Three years is enough time to stop loving _him_.  

The idea of reading a stranger’s personal letter does not seem too bad as well. They’re helping each other nurse their broken hearts and while it’s a healing process, the days might actually go by quicker than it used to.

Seongwoo’s been briefed with the experiment. He’s going to pick a random letter out of the box and read its contents before giving an advice to this person and help them for three months. The letters have code names and the revelation will happen later on, but it’s going to be an option if mutual parties agreed. Giving advice has always been his forte but following them is another thing. If he only needed to sit down and write a heartfelt letter then maybe, he could do it.

“Seongwoo, we’re starting now” Sungwoon snaps him out of his reverie, standing behind the table. Woojin’s focusing the camera on him, his heart slightly thumping on his chest. It’s going to be fine, it’s just an advice.

“Ready?” Woojin asks, tilting his head to get a better look at him.

“Yes” Seongwoo breathes out, suddenly feeling dizzy from everything.

“Ok, in 3, 2, 1” When the countdown finished, his shoulders became stiff, aware of the fact that the camera’s now recording him.  

“Ok, so for today, we will conduct a 3 month long experiment which will try to help broken hearts get through the pain. In a hundred days, we will be filming the progress and today, Seongwoo-ssi is our first person” Sungwoon has always been flawless and confident when he faces the camera, something Seongwoo envies.

Sungwoon ushers him to pick out a letter, hand gesturing into a fighting sign. The letters suddenly became a lot, curiosity churning in his belly. Letters are personal, they’ve been written with a lot of thought and feelings. He knows this because he had a great number of them left at home. As he looked through them, one caught his eye in particular.

It’s an unusual shaped letter, in the form of a paper airplane. It must’ve been a lot of work but it definitely reminded him of someone. Maybe, that’s why he picked it out.

“Whose letter do you have?” Sungwoon asks loudly, bringing him back to reality.

Seongwoo shows the paper airplane to the camera, big bold letters written in front. “From Mr. Seal”

As the nickname spills out of his mouth, a familiar ache in heart returned. He clutched the letter tighter, giving a half empty smile towards the camera. This is definitely not the time to be emotional. With a deep breath, Seongwoo opens the letter. How hurt was this person to have their story sent to out? Do they have no one?

_Do you know how to love someone?_

_I fellㅡno, I am still in love with someone I can’t be with anymore. It’s been awhile since I last heard from him. We don’t communicate but he visits me in my dreams, smiling like he used to years ago, back when we were still together. I won’t save myself from misery and say I don't miss him, because I do. I miss him a lot. If you’re wondering why I erased the word ‘fell’ then let me feed your curiosity. I didn't want to fall for this person. What I wanted was to be in love and never have a fall out, because when we say we fell in love, then it becomes easy to lose it._

_I thought by saying I’m in love with him, I’m holding on to our future, but I was wrong. We did fall out of love somewhere and wasn’t able to pick up the pieces we once were and as much as I want to let him remain in my heart, I think it’s time to move on._

The letter is short and simple, the words hitting him like a train. 

Seongwoo's never afraid to take any challenges but this might just change his mind.

 


	2. Advice #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jogging the memory lane isn't always the best idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Notes:**   
>  _Memories_   
>  _'Thoughts'_

# 2

 

“Come on Seongwoo, I didn’t have the chance to know Minhyun, but it seems like he left a big impact in your life and I’m not just some friend” Sungwoon doesn’t let go of Seongwoo’s wrist as they finished packing up. Generally, his older friend doesn’t pry when it comes to personal feelings, often telling others that private space matters. It must be the expression or the air that surrounded him that made Sungwoon turn into a serious man.  

After doing his part in the project, Seongwoo insisted to help out, trying to take his mind off the letter. They were allowed to keep it as a remembrance but it can also be a leverage to see how much they changed throughout the whole project. To be honest, Seongwoo didn't want to do anything with it, as it brought too much memories.  

“Hyung, I have a meeting tomorrow” Seongwoo tries to counter, moving hastily once the camera equipment are back in their rightful place. The studio’s bare of anything by now. The blinds are open, letting the sunset glow filter inside the room, creating warm hues of red and orange. He feels exhausted, days of no exercise finally catching up to him.

“It’s not like we’ll stay there until midnight” There's an urge to roll his eyes because you don't ask for someone's past and expect just an hour of storytelling. Sungwoon knows how much alcohol this will take for Seongwoo to talk about his relationship. It took his older friend 3 years and a project to _finally_ ask him about it.  

“And do I believe you?” Seongwoo leans back on the chair, contemplating on his choices. Thinking about it, no one knew the exact details of their break up. He didn’t bring it up to anyone and nobody asked. Only the usual questions came out.

_“How are you doing?“_

_“Are you ok?“_

_“You’ll be ok”_

That’s what they said but it never got better. As time passed by, he got used to the pain until it became numb. There’s no feeling but a portion of his heart has been hollowed out. Loving can never be a dumb choice but the mistakes are regrettable.

“Yes, you do because I’m three years late and I’m not about to let you go MIA on me again” _Ah, Sungwoon remembers_ comes the thought after Maybe, it’s time to open up old wounds. He can only hope they won’t be as nasty as they were years ago.

 

//

 

“So, where do you want me to start?” Seongwoo sits comfortably on the chair, looking past his older friend who’s ordering food. The _pojongmacha_ they’ve gone to is fairly new to him despite his proximity to the area. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Sungwoon knew about this though, since he keeps his blog regularly updated with the best eating spots.

“Up to you” Sungwoon quickly answers, gulping down a glass of water. Now that he’s settled on a chair with nothing to do, Seongwoo realized his hunger, having no time to eat during lunch.  

“OK” He replies back, no plans to prolong his story telling. Why do something that will hurt more if you can just cut to the chase? He was about to start when Sungwoon cuts him, like something dawned on him.  

“Wait, knowing you,  I bet you’re gonna cheat on me so I want to know from the start. Tell me, have you always known Minhyun? You guys seem to know each other really well”

Well, there goes his chances of having a good night’s sleep.

“Minhyun and I were once strangers” He starts, the name rolling out of his tongue like it was the most natural thing to do besides breathing, corners of his lips stretching out to form a smile. How long has it been since he uttered Minhyun’s name? It couldn’t be that long yet he missed it so much. “He came to me like a surprise one spring day”

And maybe that’s why he hated surprises so much.

It reminds him too much of Minhyun.

 

_As a beginner, Seongwoo took pride in being able to capture raw and beautiful images. His friends told him he has talent and often times, his parents would brag out to their friends at how Seongwu took photos like a professional._

_But it wasn’t always like that._

_When he got his first camera at seventeen, Seongwu was ecstatic to discover its little details. He spent his summer along bridges and riverbanks, testing out how the different angles would affect the outcome of the photos. He wakes up early just to capture the sunrise, then spend the remaining of his afternoon inside a cafe just to edit his photos, before dashing off to see the sunset._

_He had this kind of passion. A burning desire to trap certain beautiful moments his eyes and mind won’t be able to remember someday._

_Unfortunately, just like any other great people, Seongwu hit a slump once he entered college, finding it difficult to spare some of his time to take photos. His breaks became his time to rest while classes are spent wisely by studying and cramming. It wasn’t until the end of his 1st semester that he realized, the major he took isn’t for him._

_That summer, Seongwu thought about all the possibilities of shifting into another major. His parents supported him but he didn’t trust himself to do well. In the end, after so many questions and talks, his passion won and just like that, 3 years of his life went to pursuing his dreams._

_And this dream led him to stand on the romance bridge just above the Yeojwacheon stream, as he tried to capture his final masterpiece. A collection of how differently nature works throughout the change of seasons._

_Seongwu meant to capture all the cherry blossoms. He’s never seen them so majestic before and the smiles that radiated off the visitors were equally beautiful as well. The pink hues and smell of fresh air made him lighter, better than he ever did years ago._

_Adjusting his camera, Seongwu takes his position, determined to capture and preserve the scenery before him, but the wind blew and as he pressed the button, there’s a man across him, the cherry blossoms accentuating his features that made him look ethereal in the moment his camera snapped._

“Wait, so you mean to tell me, you and Minhyun met through an annual cherry blossoms festival?” Seongwoo nods absentmindedly at the question, downing another glass of soju. The first picture he took of Minhyun is still somewhere around his apartment if he remembers. Maybe he should look for it and place it in his portfolio for the interview tomorrow.

That picture is his pride after all.

“I met him there during my last year for my exhibit” He pours Sungwoon another drink, opting to eat instead of wasting his night anymore. He’s not going to wake up late tomorrow. He can’t afford to.

“Alright, so did you get his number or something~” The words slur from his friend’s mouth, clearly on the way to getting drunk anytime by now.

“I didn’t get his number or anything like that. To be honest, before I made it to the romance bridge, I got lost at least 3 times?” Yes, he has no sense of direction even with a map by his side. “And because I don’t know how to go anywhere in Busan, I asked Minhyun for some directions and unexpectedly, he showed me around”

Sungwoon raised a brow, waiting for the continuation “That can’t be it, how did you meet again?”

“He’s studying in my school. I didn’t know that until I met him in the library because I was looking for some inspiration”

“Minhyun wasn’t able to inspire you?” Sungwoon teased, poking his chest.

“He did, if I’m going to be honest. After taking a photo of Minhyun, I was motivated to work more on my collection and by the time it was up, that’s when I met Minhyun”

 

_It’s a Monday, marking the first day of his collection which is proudly displayed in their school.  While passing some time, Seongwoo decided to look for some inspiration inside the library, flipping through the pages of an old book._

_“Oh, you’re the lost man” Seongwoo’s caught off guard by a familiar voice, head turning to the direction of the voice and he sees the man from the cherry blossoms festival. He looks different, maybe a little bit older and stressed but it’s what University does to everyone._

_“You’re…the one who helped me” The stranger nods, putting back the book he’s reading. The title’s not familiar to Seongwoo, he’s never had that much interest in books that has a lot of words in them._

_“I thought you looked familiar” He lets out a chuckle, motioning Seongwoo to sit on the chair “I didn't think you’d remember me”_

_“I could say the same for you and_ **_you_ ** _remembered me!” Seongwoo counters, conversation flowing out pretty well despite being strangers._

_He lets his gaze sit on the man for a few seconds, losing focus on what he’s saying because how could he say that? Having a face like his would be impossible to forget especially when Seongwoo keeps the accidental photo inside his album. He shouldn’t be invested in a photo but he’s captivated by the beauty of it._

_“Do you study here?” Seongwoo blurts out, a little bit louder than intended._

_The stranger chuckles, easily looking at him in the eye, a playful glint present in them. “I do”_

_“I’m in my fourth year” Seongwoo follows, tapping on the wooden table to create a rhythm, something he does when he’s nervous. “How about you?”_

_“Ah! Same, I guess we’re born on the same year then, 1995?” Minhyun inquires._

_“Yep, that’s right” He answers in confirmation, feeling a bit better now that he knows they’re the same age._

_“How rude of me,  I’m Hwang Minhyun by the way” Seongwoo takes the outstretched hand, his heart feeling a bit warmer even if it’s still spring. Minhyun offers a small smile, the same one that makes Seongwoo’s hand itch to capture. Funny how Minhyun helped him but he never got the chance to  know his name._

_“My name is Ong Seongwoo”_

_And that’s their beginning, as friends._

 

“No wait, you’re leaving?” Sungwoon grabs his wrist, albeit drunk, his reflexes are still quick, nails digging into his skin to prevent him from fleeing. By this time around, only a few people were left in the _pojongmacha_ , a good number already wasted like Sungwoon is. Midnight caught up to them by the time Seongwoo finished his story. It’s only a portion of the beginning and yet, the ache in his heart starts to return.

This is exactly why he didn’t want to talk about Minhyun. A wound is like a can of worms, open it and you’ll let all unwanted things out.

“I have to leave hyung, you know I have a meeting tomorrow” Seongwoo gently tugs his arm away from Sungwoon, stumbling forward when the older pulls him back to the chair, barely missing the table. He’s not going to pay for any extra damage tonight.

“But you  haven’t even finished your story yet~~” The whining voice make Seongwoo cringe, feeling an incoming headache from the whole scenario. Right now, all he wanted to do is go home and take a nap, forget that he even talked about this.

For as long as he can remember, Seongwoo tried to keep Minhyun at the back of his mind. Lock him among the sea of questions that will never be answered. He hoped this course of action can turn Minhyun into a forgotten memory but he’s a strong force that marked his presence in Seongwoo’s life.

That’s why when he left, the pillar crumbled, leaving a gap that Seongwoo cannot fill in by himself or by others.

“Hyung, it’s midnight! I still have to fix my portfolio” That’s definitely not true. His works are already sitting on his desk, just waiting to be presented.

“Seongwoo, listen to me” He watched as Sungwoon tried to open his half lidded eyes, almost a failed attempt. “You’ve been keeping this to yourself for more than three years, why don’t you give yourself a break?”

_That’s right._

For three years, he tried to suppress the memories, afraid that it will resurface if he leaves himself unguarded. At some point, the idea of sleeping starts to scare Seongwoo. His subconscious is not a place he can control and while deep in his slumber, the fantasy becomes his reality until it comes to bite him back in the wee hours of the morning.

He loses everything once he wakes up. The warmth of the hand, the sound of laughter, _his_ heart especially. It makes him wonder how dream can feel real when they’re nothing but a figment of his imagination.

“Hyung, how about this. I will visit you studio and I’ll continue the rest of the story?”

Sungwoon rolls his eyes at the idea, knowing fully well that Seongwoo might try and bail on him “Ok, we’ll do that and if you won’t, I’m messaging Minhyun and ask him instead”

“Ok, hyung, I heard you”

//

 

_Loving someone is never easy. To answer your question, yes, I know how to love someone and I had the pleasure of experiencing it with a special person._

_But let me tell you this Mr. Seal, If you’re looking for a way to stop yourself from loving this person, then it will never happen. The heart doesn’t stop loving someone, no matter how much time passed. What it does to that love though, is transform it._

_I don’t know how much I will be able to help you and this doesn’t only require my help but yours as well. Don’t rely on me to take away all your problems because you have to work with me._

_We will have an exchange for 12 weeks and every week, I will give you a piece of advice which is yours to follow._

_For my first advice, I want you to allow yourself to feel the everything. If you’ve been suppressing yourself of emotions such as pain or anger, then this is the time to allow yourself to feel them. Don’t numb yourself and let it all out until you feel relieved._

_If you’re able to do this, then that’s when we’ll move on to the next one._

_Cheers to a new life ahead,_ _  
_ _Constellations_

 

_‘Let it all out huh?'_

“What’s that hyung?” Minhyun closed the letter slowly, turning his office chair around to greet Jaehwan. His Friend has a look of curiosity, head craned to look past him but Minhyun simply brushed it off.

“I believe you went here for a different reason, Jaehwan?” Minhyun teased, tension easing as he leaned backwards. Perhaps, the idea of sending the letter was indeed a great one. Nobody in his group of friends exactly knew what happened between him and Seongwoo, therefore, he kept the secret for 3 years.

“Oh right” Jaehwan answers, quick to forget his curiosity. He hands a thin file to Minhyun, a brown folder with the words ‘File 2A’ printed on it. _Ah, the photographers_ he thinks. “We’ve run down the photographers who’re interested in joining the outreach program, they’re the final people”

Minhyun hums in reply, opening the folder to look at their profiles briefly. If everything goes well, the outreach program may go smoothly and they can gather sponsorship for the program “How about the fees?”

“We called them already, just need to wait for them to make an appearance later. Will you be there?” There’s nervousness laced in the other’s voice, he's been joining Minhyun in meetings and interviews but so far he only kept quiet and did the notes. Today should be an exception. “I know that look”

“What look?” Minhyun feigns innocence, flipping the page, just in time to freeze when his eyes land on a familiar name.

“Oh, I know you like the photographer named Ong Seongwoo so you can thank me for contacting him” Jaehwan mentions it lightly that Minhyun can’t bring himself to dislike the younger boy. There's a certain fear in his heart starting to take place. Hopefully, it isn’t visible.

He didn’t think Jaehwan would notice so he kept them on the shelf, casually browsing it whenever he’s free. Clearly, he underestimated the amount of attention the younger has. He doesn’t have much in his office, maybe a few magazines and books. The biggest furniture that took up space were his sofa and coffee table. That being said. Jaehwan usually preferred a messier place where his creativity can thrive.

“I never knew you had observation skills lying within you” Jaehwan scoffs, crossing his arms at Minhyun’s reply. He closed the folder, putting it aside for now. It’s been too long since he’s seen that face. They bring so much memories, painful and happy ones.

“As I’m saying, I know that look” Jaehwin diverts the conversation, sitting down on the chair across him. There’s no one who can read hum now better than his co worker and very close friend. Oftentimes, Minhyun tries to mask his emotion but Jaehwan is his outlet whenever he’s having problems. “You’re planning to leave me alone aren’t you?”

“I have an appointment by lunch” Minhyun apologetically says, glancing at the clock to make sure he'll make it on time. He didn’t have to do that much in the foundation with Jaehwan taking his place. Besides that, he’s not sure if can look at Seongwoo’s face, right now.

“But...I got an appointment with your favorite photographer hyung! How can you leave me like that?” Jaehwan makes frantic motion with his hands, the panicked expression on his face quick to make Minhyun chuckle. He’s desperate to make him stay, Minhyun could tell, but if he’s going to sit across the photographers and interview them while Jaehwan takes notes beside him, then he’ll never make progress.

“Come on, it’s your time to shine and show me that you can do this!” Minhyun replies, gathering his things to leave.

“I can’t believe you” The younger huffs out, crossing his arms “You didn’t even tell me you have an appointment, I could’ve moved it”

Minhyun rolls his eyes in reply “The you’ll keep on relying on me forever. Go on and make yourself presentable”

“I am presentable”

“Your constipated face tells me you’re not”

“Ugh! Just be back later, you have a habit of escaping to your cafe when you go out for an appointment”

“I will” With one last smile, Minhyun trudges out of his office, greeting a few staff once he passed by them. He’s carrying a paper bag full of sweets, the ones he never got the chance to eat since he came back from Japan. He’s looking forward to feasting on them but he has a dentist appointment and there’s no way he’d risk cavities before that. Fortunately, someone’s willing to devour all them without any worries.

If Minhyun wasn’t thinking too hard about the sweets then perhaps, he would’ve noticed the person as he round a corner while on his way to the elevator but he didn’t, instead, his clumsy self almost fell down.

Like the dramas he always watched, Minhyun felt time stopped for him the moment he caught a glimpse of the stranger, wishing he paid attention to where he was going.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t...Minhyun?”

“Seongwoo” Minhyun should hate surprises by now, but he doesn’t because he still looks breathtakingly beautiful.


End file.
